Amulet of Communication(s)

[Elenthis]

I've noticed (and been part of) a continuing trend toward reliance on the A.o.C. to communicate with other players who are not near. This is NOT something I should be discouraged in general, however, I DO believe that it should be...limited? I propose a minor change or changes that should serve...not as deterrents to it's use, but as reminders that the A.o.C. is not a cell phone.

So...keeping in mind that I, myself, have been guilty of succumbing to the convenience of the Commulet, the following are un-connected suggestions. Each should be viewed with an invisible (and/or) because I'm not sure how I feel about some of them, but wish to start a full and productive look into it.

One idea would be to give Commulets "charges" (thanks to a buddy for this one). IE a certain number per day to be used as you like. Variations to this idea would include the ability to "recharge" the amulet at some severe sacrifice... A huge chunk of HP, or Movement...et all.

Another idea would be to have the amulet consistently cost a small chunk of Movement, HP, or both. My thought is roughly 3%. I know that the difference between low and high level characters can be huge in this regard, so I invite greater debate on this point. One thing I would avoid, would be this being like hunger, where starvation loss is instantly restored on the next tick.

Another idea still, is to have it lower your mental state with each use. I'm not sure how the code works on this, so I'll keep it vague. I suspect this would restore itself over a short time, so it would only be terrible for someone firing off tells rapid-fire.

Yet another idea would be a pause, similar to that which happens during a teleport or Astral walk. Each time you send a tell, you'd have to pause before doing anything else. My unexisting knowledge of the code suggests this could be implemented one of two ways. A pause using the same idea as TP and Astral. The second way to implement this would be to use the movement code, so one must simply "pause" to speak.

The last idea would be to have the amulets give you a debuff of some sort, similar in concept to the "you just died" debuff, but lasting only a few minutes. I'll leave this one open, because I think it's obvious that this one would require some forethought about balance, effect, and intention.

For what it's worth, I would also add that it's my belief that any "negative reminder" about amulets should be mitigated by meditation. While meditating, I think sending tells should be a clear, and simple process as the mind is fully available for the function.

~Jeff.

[Timaeus]

While the amulets can be bothersome especially when you are in a room with others and roleplaying through a Christmas light display of flashing amulets I would be against making them more limited than they are already (they cost moves to use as they always have its just so minimal at higher levels). The reasons I would be against limiting tells:

That there are so many players who do not abuse the amulets and do not use them like cell phones. I am strongly against punishing the responsible player for the actions of irresponsible player. (IE Polymorph)

They are good for arranging to meet up with other players in a small population versus vast game area game like we have and to have penalties like you suggest would only lower the chances of interactive roleplay more.

They are used by newer players to get help or ask questions when things go bad and limitations would only impede a new player even more in an already rather complex system that is Forgotten Kingdoms.

Now back to solutions to the problem, instead of limits maybe the help file for tells and amulet of communication need to be expanded to include some notes on responsible use of the tell command (in red color). That way when someone observes a player consistently using the amulet as a cell phone you can gently direct them to read the help files. The help files should also note more clearly that you do not need an amulet to send a tell to someone in the same room so if you roleplay whispering to your buddy without wearing an amulet you can still send the tell in the same room and no one will see the glowing effect of an amulet and encourage more people to not wear them constantly.

[Gwain]

Or we could go back to pre 2005 and have the amulets admit no visual echoes. The echoes were added originally as a way to curb use via shame spam. Though the echoes have improved and certainly have never troubled me. Amulet use is a private thing we never really experience unless its us using the amulet. I'm fine with leaving it as is.

[Baeus]

I know that Elenthis is well known and probably gets constantly lit up by tells when he is on. Is that part of the issue? If that is the case a tactful reminder to the offender that you would rather meet in person due to amulet chatter would be in order. When I usually send someone a tell I start the communication with a question as to whether or not a person is busy or free to talk.

[Elenthis]

I'd like to emphasize, that the intention of this suggestion has never been to persuade people to NOT use the amulet, not to punish them for doing so. I just know that they can be dangerously convenient, and I have seen people having long conversations, which would be much more rich RP in person. I'm not going to assume we're all guilty of it, but I know I have been in the past. All I'm suggesting is something of a gentle reminder, and possibly even a RP enhancement.

And to clarify...I will NEVER ask that people do not send me tells or otells. My -character- is VERY newbie friendly for good reason IC and OOC. No one should ever be afraid to ask me any questions. If I feel they are too IC, I'll point that way. If I don't know the answer, there's a good chance I either know someone who does, or I can point you to where you can find it. Please never be afraid to ask away.

~Jeff.

[Raona]

I like these suggestions, and understand where they are coming from. I will propose that the "tax" on TELL scale inversely with level, though. That's easily done. Then a low-level PC can chat away but high level PCs will have to limit the chatter. They are in the best position to do so.

I also have another idea for what can go wrong - each time you use an amulet (when not meditating, perhaps), your effective skill level in a language (either the one you are using, or a special TELL language) drops a little, temporarily. So if you chatter away too much, you won't understand others, or at least they will not understand you, but you'll still be able to get a distress call or what have you.

[Wenin]

I'm for the cost of a TELL/REPLY to take more movement. Against HP, as that is more necrotic =)

As long as it doesn't affect OTELL/OREPLY to allow for help to be rendered without a cost.

[Gwain]

Put it to a vote with the playerbase?

[Casamir]

I see no personal issue with them being regarded similar to cell phones. But like phones, if they supplant all of your in-person interaction, or you overuse it obnoxiously in public, fair deal to call the offenders out on it. The policies stand that it should not be overused, and scaling to level makes sense. If it is taking 1-3% stamina per use, and you have sent more tells than what you could recover, then you have a problem. I would much rather have a heavier limit on osays/otells.

All in all, I think abusers could gain some amulet restraint/etiquette, and those bothered simply embrace how the amulet is used now save for the worst offenders. Point abusers to the appropriate help-file. You don't leave your phone on in the theatre, no not even to check the time, we can see the glow. You don't leave your amulet on when you are going to get faithed, and you don't spam it incessantly in the market square.

[Mele]

I think the main issue with amulets - and this is not an exaggeration - is players in dungeon-type areas, even hard ones (UD, UM, etc) who have chatty tells to their BFF's not there amounting up to 50+ tells a conversation.

"Hey what are you doing?"
"Oh, you know, fighting a giant purple worm. You?"
"Oh I'm in a keep of orcs with four on me. What are you doing later?"

Unfortunately this has been a real thing on more occasions than I have fingers and toes.

I would definitely motion that the flashing echo be gone - as it is not deferring anyone from using their amulets but making other players 'pay' for their need to do so. I think It would be interesting perhaps after so many tells in combat, or while your adrenaline is up that you slowly lose your sanity, as using the amulet is supposed to be a mental thing.

[Wenin]

The echo deters me. When I've quickly responded to a TELL without thought, I have RP'd the poor etiquette of having done so.

[Baeus]

The echo deters me. When I've quickly responded to a TELL without thought, I have RP'd the poor etiquette of having done so.

Having said that, does there even need to be an echo? This is what seems to be the issue with multiple people, not multitasking. Correct me if I'm wrong but the main purpose of this amulet is communication. My guess is that the folks talking as if they were on a cell phone don't mind at all, it's the people that are being distracted by the glow that are being annoyed and probably with good reason. IF you are standing stationary in a well known meeting area you are there to interact, not be ignored by the flash of a private conversation.

I'm willing to bet that many of us are doing a whole host of things while we play but since there is no indicator of that activity no one cares. Barring unusual pauses before reacting to input you would have no idea. Instead of inhibiting communication turn off the echo, which seems to be the thing offending people. It's also not too difficult to cut a conversation short with a tactful request that you meet in person if someone is being too chatty with you.

[Elenthis]

There is -some- value of the amulet flash, though.

X makes fun of elenthis.

X's amulet flashes.

Y grins at x.

Elenthis commits seppuku.

Hilarity for all.

[Alitar]

I like the flash being in because I agree with Wenin in that it acts as a deterrent for those players who are mindful of their roleplay with whomever is in the room with them. As for use, I quite agree with Casamir. If you're meeting with your FM or something similar, detune or do not reply unless it's very important or you don't mind insulting someone/inferring that you don't care about the situation at hand.

[Rhangalas]

Removing the echo and making it cost more stamina sounds good to me. HP/Sanity drain would be evil...

Someone's amulet flashes briefly.
Someone is incapacitated, but may recover.
Someone says, after regaining consciousness, "Apologies, my amulet is a vampire."

[Katheryn]

Someone's amulet flashes briefly.
Someone is incapacitated, but may recover.
Someone says, after regaining consciousness, "Apologies, my amulet is a vampire."

I look forward to this implementation.

Not really, but you really would have a serious problem if someone took to using amulets to that degree...

I really just wish we could otell without having to keep the amulet tuned/worn.

[Raona]

I really just wish we could otell without having to keep the amulet tuned/worn.

Unfortunately, the amulet uses the 'tells' channel, so making that work would require adding (or at least re-allocating) a new channel explicitly for otells. That would definitely require hard code, but I'm not sure how much. I agree that it would be nice!

[Mele]

I'm not sure that's correct, Raona, we as staff members can send otells without the amulet. :) So something's got to work for that!